


Disrespect and Conscience

by biqua



Series: Measurements [4]
Category: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Genre: Class Quest, Gen, Planet: Coruscant, Quest: Destroying the War Droids, Republic Trooper Storyline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-19 12:58:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3610911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biqua/pseuds/biqua
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What Republic Trooper Badri Emras finds during a mission on Coruscant hits a little too close to home. Takes place during the quest "Destroying the War Droids."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Disrespect and Conscience

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place during the SWTOR Republic Trooper class questline on Coruscant, approximately level 13 depending on how many sidequests you're doing. Appearances by actual canon characters, namely Aric Jorgan and General Garza.

"Come in lieutenant," was General Garza's terse greeting on the holocom. Badri fumbled with the control as he felt it buzz, but Garza didn't wait for him before starting her commands. "I want you to move immediately and destroy the cyborgs that Krel created. We need to deal with them now before they can disappear into the normal population. These situations are never easy--these people did not choose to be what they now are," she admitted. "But many more lives could be at stake. You have to eliminate Krel's creations," she ordered.

Badri clicked on the visual, making sure that Garza could see him before he responded. "General, there is a significant chance that Krel was bluffing," Badri countered.

"Whether Krel was bluffing or not, these cyborgs are a risk we cannot allow. I know you may have some... personal attachment to the matter," Garza said delicately, skirting over the issue they both knew full well was there, "but I'm giving you the kill order Lieutenant, I take full responsibility for the consequences. Now get it done."

"With all due respect, sir, this isn't right," he protested.

"It's right for the Republic," she retaliated. "That's our only concern. Garza out."

"This is a waste of time," Aric spat as the holocom clicked off. Badri shoved the device back into his pack, keeping his face carefully neutral. "We should be going after the traitors, not gunning people down just because some madman said they're dangerous."

"I'm not gunning anyone down on Krel's word," Badri said calmly, but firmly.

"Whatever you're going to do, let's do it fast," Aric recommended. He followed Badri as he walked over and stood next to the tall door to the prison cell. The door did not open, which wasn't a huge surprise at this point. Badri fiddled with the manual controls before there was a yell from behind the door.

"Stay back!" shouted a female voice from inside. "The door is locked and sealed! You can't get in! We heard all the fighting, and we heard you talking to that freak Krel! We're not coming out until you swear you won't hurt us!"

"If you heard all of that, you must have heard my conversation with the Commander as well," Badri said, intending to soothe them.

"But we're not cyborgs!" yelled a male voice. "I'd know if I was some half-machine freak," he spat. "This is insane!"

Aric involuntarily looked over at his cyborg commanding officer, and looked away just as quickly. Badri was looking straight ahead, but obviously not focusing on what was around him. Aric watched for some sort of sign that he wasn't going to snap, but the Lieutenant didn't show any facial expression.

The words had hit Badri somewhere, but he knew they were the same ignorant words spouted by most the the Republic, who had never met anyone with cybernetic enhancements, or who didn't know the story behind his own. The same stupid words he might have said six, seven years ago.

"You out there!" called a second male voice, breaking both soldiers' trains of thought. "Listen--I'm not sure about these others, but I can assure you that I'm not a cyborg!"

"What?" the first man protested. "Are you calling me a freak like Krel? I'm not a freak!"

Aric looked back at Badri, and looked away just as quickly. He slowly looked back, unsure if his CO was going to hold together, but the Lieutenant looked calm. Then again, Badri almost always looked calm, right up until the point when he shot someone in the face. It was a little unnerving.

Badri knew, more than anyone else they could have sent on this mission, what these people were scared of. They were scared of what they didn't know, what they might have become, what they could possibly do. They were afraid of losing control over their own bodies. They were afraid of exactly what had happened to him. Becoming a "freak," something less than human.

"Maybe you're the cyborg," the man continued, "and you're trying to trick everyone!"

"I am not!" the second man shot back. "He spent far more time operating on you than he did on me, so if anyone is--"

"Both of you, stop it!" the woman interrupted. "None of us are cyborgs! That's all there is to it!"

Badri sighed. "Look, I got my orders--" he started, intending to interrupt them before the argument got underway again, but he was interrupted instead.

"This is insane!" the woman protested. "Even if just a few of us are cyborgs, would you really murder all of us just to be sure none of the cyborgs escape?"

"Would you just listen to me?!" Badri shouted, finally losing his patience. Aric took a small step back in case he decided to blow the door down. They both knew he could do it if he wanted to. But there was no sound from the other side of the door. 

"Good," Badri continued calmly. The rage that had echoed in his voice just a second ago was gone. Still, Aric thought it wisest to remain a few meters away from his CO. "Now if you had let me finish my sentence," Badri continued, "you would have realized that I have no intention of following those orders."

"Then you won't hurt us? You'll let us go?" the woman asked.

"All I intend to do is get your names and ID numbers," he reassured them.

"What? So you can track us down and kill us later? No way!" the first man shouted.

"If it gets us out of here alive, then it's worth it," the woman said to the protester. "We'll put the information no a datapad for you, soldier." There was a moment of hushed whispering, and then she said, "Okay, stand back. I'm going to open the door."

Badri took a tentative step back, and Aric followed his lead. There was a cranking sound, followed by a smooth click as the door slid upwards. Three people walked out of the room, obviously the three they had heard behind the door. The woman was the first to get a clear look at Badri.

"You--you are," the woman started. Badri self-consciously put a hand to one temple although he knew the band showed on both sides, and let his fingers slide over the cybernetic eyepatch covering the ocular implant which had replaced his left eye. His two most obvious cybernetics, yet the ones that had the least impact on his body.

"Yeah," was his quiet response. "I am."

"But you're--" one of the men said, the same one who had been most vocal in his protests behind the door.

"All that," the woman said, shushing her companion, "what we were saying, we didn't mean--" the woman said hurriedly.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Badri said with a smile. Aric gave him a sidelong glance, not buying the lighthearted tone. "Just give me your information and you can be on your way. I'll take some heat from command, but it's nothing you have to worry about."

"Here is all the information you requested," she said, handing over a datapad. "Thank you."

Badri smiled as they hurried out, but the smile faded when he felt his holocom buzz.

"Lieutenant! My orders were perfectly clear: Eliminate Krel's cyborgs!" Garza shouted. Badri fumbled once again with his holocom. He was beginning to suspect that it was pointless to put it away. Nevertheless, he made sure it was getting his image as he held his ground.

"With all due respect and honor to your wishes, sir, I could not carry out your orders," Badri said firmly, in his most official tone. Aric raised an eyebrow, watching the two with interest.

"My orders are not polite suggestions, Lieutenant. You don't choose to follow them--you follow them," she commanded. "Lieutenant, when you are on a mission, you listen to my orders, then your brain, then your heart. In that order," her tone barely covering her rage. "There's no room for sentiment in our line of work. There should be similarly little room for it in you, or we're doomed to fail."

"If we never listen to our hearts, sir," he added, as if it could counter the disrespect he was showing, "then what makes us any different from the Empire?"

"We are heartless so the people of the Republic don't have to be, Lieutenant. So that the Republic does not become the Empire. Always remember that," Garza said, her tone somewhat softer. "Return to my office now--we need to discuss your next assignment. Garza out."

"Sir, you don't--"

The holocom cut off before Badri could finish his protest.

"Shut the damn line," Badri muttered. "She just doesn't get it. She can't understand."

"I swore I would never be heartless," Badri said bitterly, more to himself than his second. "I swore that I was still human no matter how machines had to keep me alive. No matter how much of my body was no longer human. I swore on the graves of my team, my commander, and my best friend that I would carry their legacy. I would fight for the Republic, but I would put people ahead of ideals. Life ahead of abstract concepts. That I would never make the same mistake twice. But that my life was mine to give, and mine to lay down for what I believe in, no matter how little of it is left."

Badri turned suddenly to look at Aric. "I don't regret my decision."

Put on the spot, Aric said, "Hey, I think you made the right call here. I'll keep following you, so lead the way."

Badri smiled, and turned to leave the compound. Aric followed, keeping a careful two steps between them, even as his CO seemed to regain confidence.

"Good." 


End file.
